Recognising rights of all people in Holy Land essential, says Pope

Pope Francis visited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the current state of affairs. — Reuters picVATICAN CITY, Dec 6 — Pope Francis, speaking to Palestinians ahead of US President Donald Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem, said today “recognising the rights of all people” in the Holy Land is a primary condition for dialogue.

The pope, who spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the crisis yesterday, made his comments to a group of visiting Palestinians involved in inter-religious dialogue with the Vatican.

“The Holy Land is for us Christians the land par excellence of dialogue between God and mankind,” he said.

“The primary condition of that dialogue is reciprocal respect and a commitment to strengthening that respect, for the sake of recognising the rights of all people, wherever they happen to be,” he said.